Many people in the healthcare field ask if an advanced practice nurse should have a higher standard of education? in my opinion, yes, an advanced practice nurse should have a higher standard of education. They are the leaders that are setting examples for the new nurses coming on board. If we do not improve the profession, then anyone can say they want to be a nurse but not have the right criteria to be a nurse. Nurses are taking care of people’s health and in some instances the patients are critical; they should have a level of education that is higher.
Advanced practice nurses that are teaching our new nurses coming into the profession, definitely need to be at a higher level. If they are not teaching, then they are in management or conducting research. A great way that they can practice their speaking in impacting our nursing laws is starting locally with the Florida Nurse’s Association. There is a local chapter in many cities and they speak about nursing issues that are both at a local and national level. They have the ability through the association to bring it for review; in our state, for instance, they can bring the concern to Tallahassee so that they can get it resolved or even brought up nationally to Washington. If as nurses we do not get involved in healthcare, then what will happen is we will allow politicians who are not involved in the day to day care of patients, to make decisions that too often are not good choices for our healthcare system.
Rosie Moore, RN, DNP
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